The
Supreme Court today allowed trans-location of Asiatic lions from
Gujarat's Gir sanctuary to Madhya Pradesh. The court said that the
species is under threat of extinction and needs a second home.

A
bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and C K Prasad has given six
months time to the wildlife authorities concerned for trans-locating
the lions.

The
Gujarat government has been fighting a legal battle in the apex court
against trans-location of lions in the wake of a PIL seeking their
trans-location to Madhya Pradesh.

Currently, there are around 400 Asiatic lions in Gir sanctuary.

The
apex court also said the introduction of African cheetahs in India
from Namibia cannot be allowed, as primacy should be given to
preservation of critically endangered native species, like the wild
buffalo and the Great Indian Bustard.

The
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had proposed the
introduction of the African Cheetahs in the country under its Rs 300
crore Cheetah Reintroduction Programme.

The apex court, in May last year had stayed the implementation of the project.

The
issue of relocating cheetahs from Namibia was raised before the court
during a hearing on trans-location of Asiatic lions , after a decision
taken by the National Board for Wildlife (NBW).